Linebackers
Andrew Van Ginkel (MIA): Jaelen Phillips is a stud-in-the-making, but guessing he’s been scooped up for some time in just about all leagues. Van Ginkel, however, is likely available. The Dolphins have been rotating through a host of linebackers, and Van Ginkel has shown in the past he can produce when given regular snaps. Don’t go overspending in typical IDP scoring leagues, but in big-play leagues, he’s at least worth monitoring his snap counts. The Lions and Bears represent decent matchups here in Weeks 8 and 9, so if you’re struggling to find a third or fourth linebacker in a big-play league, give him some consideration.
Akeem Davis-Gaither (CIN): As if there was any doubt, Davis-Gaither is definitely the linebacker handcuff to Logan Wilson. Germaine Pratt will gobble up tackles, too, but there’s room for another Bengal linebacker to make plays. When Wilson is out, Davis-Gaither is a safe LB2. He’s just 25 years old and may still have DTS eligibility, depending on your league’s rules.
Sione Takitaki (CLE): The usage among Brown linebackers right now is… interesting. We all know the veteran tackle-gobbler Anthony Walker is out for the season, and is not signed past 2022. Deion Jones will eventually start getting more time in the middle, and Jacob Phillips is around too. But what about the outside spots? Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah gets most of the defensive snaps, but Takitaki gets his share, too. In larger leagues, all of these linebackers should be rostered. Determining who does what and when will likely be a challenge, but one may eventually start standing out to us fantasy owners. He’s likely not DTS-eligible, but if you have some bench space, he’s not a bad option in larger formats.
Defensive Linemen
Grover Stewart (DT - IND): Yowzers. This guy has 11 solos and six helpers in the past two weeks and even has a sack to boot. The big space-eater is a must-start in all leagues that start defensive tackles independently, especially against run-heavy teams (such as the Commanders this week). In fact, his next several matchups are all in his favor to continue to rack up tackles.
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DreMont Jones (DE - DEN): It’s either feast (18 points in Week 2, 11 points last week) or famine (single digits all other weeks) for Jones, but given the right matchup, he can rack up the sacks and have a decent amount of stops to boot. He’ll be on bye in Week 9, but this week against the Jags could be decent. A DL2/3 in most formats right now, but consider he may have an occasional stinker.
Lawrence Guy (DE – NEP): While this is a forward-looking type of article, we also want to highlight deeper sleepers that could help win-now owners too. Guy is not a dynasty stash by any means, given he’s 32 years old and the Patriots do tend to rotate their linemen quite a bit, but he came back from several weeks off and chipped in with a whopping six assists on Monday night against the Bears. This type of stat shows that the player is around the ball a lot. Given the right matchup, could continue to rack up tackles and may pounce on a loose ball or two. Games against the Jets and Colts are favorable for Guy and other Patriot linemen.
Defensive Backs
Fabian Moreau (CB – NYG): Moreau has had some decent, tackle-heavy seasons with Washington, and now he’s the snap leader for New York Giant corners. He has 15 solos in the past two contests. While his upcoming matchups are only average, he’s produced solid results with average matchups before, so it stands to reason he’ll have solid production yet again. In leagues that force you to start cornerbacks independently, he’s a solid add and start.
Nasir Adderley (S – LAC): Alohi Gilman filled in for Adderly a couple of weeks ago as the starter opposite Derwin James, but it looks like Adderly is back in the saddle as the starter again. He won’t make a ton of splash plays but should be fairly consistent with tackles and the occasional pass breakup. Not worth a look except in deeper leagues that start at least three defensive backs.
Geno Stone (S – BAL): It’s incredibly frustrating to rely on Raven defensive backs as we all know, but in deeper leagues, sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. It looks like Kyle Hamilton’s usage may be on the rise, but Stone should still have some value. He has 14 solos in the past couple of weeks and last week was a stat-sheet-stuffer with eight solos and a forced/recovered fumble. The third-year pro from Iowa has ideal size for the spot he’s in and could continue to produce DB2-type numbers if Hamilton fizzles.